This invention relates to absorbent devices, and more particularly to an improved absorbent device that is worn interlabially by female wearers for catamenial purposes, incontinence protection, or both.
All manner and variety of absorbent articles configured for the absorption of body fluids such as menses, urine and feces are well known. With respect to feminine protection devices, the art has offered two basic types; sanitary napkins have been developed for external wear about the pudendal region while tampons have been developed for internal wear within the vaginal cavity for interruption of menstrual flow therefrom. Such tampon devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,833, entitled xe2x80x9cTampon Applicatorxe2x80x9d, issued to Weigner, et al. on Nov. 1, 1983, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,986, entitled xe2x80x9cTampon Assembly With Means For Sterile Insertionxe2x80x9d, issued to Jacobs on Nov. 8, 1983.
Hybrid devices which attempt to merge the structural features of the sanitary napkins and the tampons into a single device have also been proposed. Such hybrid devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,092,346, entitled xe2x80x9cCatamenial Padxe2x80x9d, issued to Arone on Sep. 7, 1937, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,905,372, entitled xe2x80x9cFeminine Hygiene Protective Shieldxe2x80x9d, issued to Denkinger on Sep. 16, 1975. Other less intrusive hybrid devices are known as labial or interlabial sanitary napkins and are characterized by having a portion which at least partially resides within the wearer""s vestibule and a portion which at least partially resides external of the wearer""s vestibule. Such devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,662,527, entitled xe2x80x9cSanitary Padxe2x80x9d, issued to Jacks on Dec. 15, 1953, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,062, entitled xe2x80x9cLabial Sanitary Padxe2x80x9d, issued to Lassen, et al. on Dec. 23, 1986.
Interlabial pads have the potential to provide even greater freedom from inconvenience because of their small size and reduced risk of leakage (if inserted properly). Numerous attempts have been made in the past to produce an interlabial pad which would combine the best features of tampons and sanitary napkins while avoiding at least some of the disadvantages associated with each of these types of devices. Examples of such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,049 issued to Delaney on Dec. 15, 1959, U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,235 issued to Harmon on Jan. 7, 1969, U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,392 issued to Johnson, et al. on Jun. 17, 1986, and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,074,855 and 5,336,208 issued to Rosenbluth, et al. on Dec. 24, 1991 and Aug. 9, 1994 respectively, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,429 issued to Vukos, et al. on Jan. 16, 1996. A commercially available interlabial device is the IN-SYNC miniform interlabial pad which is marketed by A-Fem of Portland, OR and described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,983,873 and 4,175,561 issued to Hirschman on Oct. 5, 1976 and Nov. 27, 1979, respectively.
Many of these devices have not met with great commercial success, however. There are drawbacks associated with all of the above products. For example, the device described in the Delaney patent does not appear to be capable of an easy and comfortable insertion, due to the possibility of the layers of absorbent material opening up during insertion. The commercially available IN-SYNC interlabial device suffers from the disadvantage that many consumers find it difficult to insert properly and may cause some consumers discomfort especially if not properly inserted. Even when such a device is properly inserted, it may tend to allow by-pass flow around its edges. Such flow can cause body soiling or panty soiling which many consumers find unacceptable. Additionally, previously known interlabial devices such as the IN-SYNC miniform may not reliably cover the urethra and/or the vaginal introitus during all body movements (e.g. when the wearer is squatting). Such products may also not be reliably expelled when the wearer urinates.
Another factor affecting the success of the device is the ease of use, particularly with respect to the insertion and removal of the device. Typically, the user grasps the device with her fingers and inserts it in position. The user may also need to grasp the device for removal, particularly if it is not expelled during urination. For both insertion and removal, it is desirable that the user not touch the body-facing portion of the device. Thus, for ease of insertion and/or removal, a grasping tab or other gripping surface is very beneficial. Published Application WO 99/56689 (which is a co-pending and commonly assigned application designating the United States) describes an absorbent interlabial device provided with a grasping tab in which the grasping tab is an integrally formed extension of the backsheet of the device. While such integrally formed grasping tabs are acceptable and are easy to manufacture, even further opportunities for improvements in the overall performance and acceptance of the device are available.
For example, it has been found during development of the present invention that it is desirable to provide a grasping tab which is relatively stiff along at least some of its height. This serves to transmit the forces of insertion to the device and reduces the tendency of the tab to simply collapse upon itself. Stiffness of the grasping tab, however, can lead to discomfort associated with wearing of the device if this stiffness is uniform throughout the extent of the tab. Therefore, the present invention provides an interlabial device with an improved grasping tab having two or more zones which are tailored to act in combination to provide both insertion and removal success as well as a superior using experience.
This invention relates to absorbent devices, and more particularly to an improved absorbent device that is insertable into the interlabial space of a female wearer for catamenial purposes, incontinence protection, or both.
The absorbent interlabial device of the present invention comprises a backsheet and a tab joined to the backsheet and depending therefrom. The tab comprises a first zone and a second zone. The first zone of the tab has a first stiffness and the second zone has a second stiffness. The first stiffness is greater than the second stiffness.
Preferably, the first zone is located distal to the location of joining between the backsheet and the tab and the second zone is located proximal to the location of joining between the backsheet and said tab. The tab is preferably comprised of multiple layers. Such multiple layers may preferably be laminated to one another in the first zone and are not be laminated to one another in the second zone. Such selective lamination and lack of lamination allows one or more of the multiple layers to move independently with respect to another of the multiple layers in at least a portion of the second zone.
In some embodiments, the tab comprises three layers of material. All of the three layers may be laminated to one another in the first zone and wherein all of the three layers may be free to move independently with respect to one another in at least a portion of the second zone. In a variation, the tab may have a first outer layer and a second outer layer and an inner layer positioned between the first and the second outer layers, wherein the first outer layer and the second outer layer of the tab are independently joined to the backsheet of the absorbent device. Preferably, the first and second outer layers of the tab are joined to the backsheet of the device on either side of the longitudinal centerline.
In some embodiments, the tab comprises three layers of material including a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and a middle layer. The first outer layer may be laminated to the middle layer, and the second outer layer may be laminated to the middle layer in the first zone. In the second zone, the second outer layer may be not laminated to another layer thereby allowing the second layer to move independently with respect to the other layers. Preferably, the first and second outer layers of the tab are joined to the backsheet of the device on either side of the longitudinal centerline.
In some embodiments, the first zone of the tab comprises three layers of material including a first outer layer, a second outer layer, and a middle layer. The first outer layer is laminated to the middle layer, and the second outer layer is laminated to the middle layer. The second zone of the tab comprises two layers including the first outer layer and the second outer layer. The first outer layer and the second outer layer are not laminated to another layer in the second zone. Preferably, the first and second outer layers of the tab are joined to the backsheet of the device on either side of the longitudinal centerline.
In some embodiments, the tab comprises two layers. In the first zone, the two layers are laminated to each other. In the second zone the two layers are not laminated to each other. Preferably, the two layers of the tab are joined to the backsheet of the device on either side of the longitudinal centerline.